Exercises on independence, basis, and dimension

Problem 9.1: (3.5 #2. Introduction to Linear Algebra: Strang) Find the largest
possible number of independent vectors among:
⎡ ⎤ ⎡ ⎤ ⎡ ⎤
1 1 1

⎢ −1 ⎥ ⎢ 0
⎥ ⎢ 0
⎥
v1 =
⎢
⎣
0 ⎦
, v2 =
⎣
−1
⎦
, v3 =
⎣
0
⎦
,

⎥ ⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥

0
0
−1

⎡ ⎤ ⎡ ⎤ ⎡ ⎤
0 0 0

⎢ 1
⎥
⎥ , v5 =
⎢ 1
⎥ and v6 =
⎢ 0
⎥ .

⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
v4 =
⎢
⎣
−1 ⎦
⎣
0
⎦
⎣
1
⎦

0 −1 −1

Solution: Since v4 = v2 − v1 , v5 = v3 − v1 , and v6 = v3 − v2 , the vectors

v4 , v5 , and v6 are dependent on the vectors v1 , v2 and v3 . To determine the
relationship between the vectors v1 , v2 and v3 we apply row reduction to
the matrix [v1 v2 v3 ]:
⎡ ⎤ ⎡ ⎤ ⎡ ⎤ ⎡ ⎤
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

⎢ −1 0 0 ⎥
⎥ ⎢ 0 1 1
⎥
⎥ ⎢ 0 1 1
⎥
⎥ ⎢ 0 1 1
⎥
⎢
⎣
0 −1 −→
⎢
⎣
0 −1 −→
⎢ −→
⎢ ⎥ .

0 ⎦
0
⎦
⎣
0 0 1
⎦
⎣
0 0 1
⎦

0
0 −1 0
0
−1 0 0 −1 0 0 0

As there are three pivots, the vectors v1 , v2 , and v3 are independent.

Therefore the largest number of independent vectors among the given six
vectors is three. This will be the rank of the 4 by 6 matrix of v’s.

Problem 9.2: (3.5 #20.) Find a basis for the plane x − 2y + 3z = 0 in R3 .

Then find a basis for the intersection of that plane with the xy plane. Then
find a basis for all vectors perpendicular to the plane.
� �
Solution: This plane is the nullspace of the matrix 1 −2 3 and also

⎡ ⎤
1 −2 3
A =
⎣
0 0 0 ⎦.
0 0 0

1
The special solutions to Ax = 0 are

⎡ ⎤ ⎡ ⎤
2 −3
v1 = ⎣ 1 ⎦ and v2 = ⎣ 0 ⎦ .
0 1

These form a basis for the nullspace of A and thus for the plane.
The intersection of this plane with the xy plane contains v1 and does
not contain v2 ; the intersection must be a line. Since v1 lies on this line it
also provides a basis for it.
Finally, we can use “inspection” or the cross product to find the vector
⎡ ⎤
1
v3 = ⎣ −2 ⎦ ,
3

which is perpendicular to both v1 and v2 . It is therefore perpendicular

to the plane. Since the space of vectors perpendicular to a plane in R3 is
one-dimensional, v3 serves as a basis for that space.

MIT OpenCourseWare
http://ocw.mit.edu

18.06SC Linear Algebra

Fall 2011

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